Soft Skin…Smells Good January 28, 2009

Just  a little pllug for my friend Jennifer.  She makes and sells the most amazing sugar scrub!  I used to use a scrub that I got from the place that I got facials…and it was good….but Jennifers is so awesome.  And it is all natural….basically it is olive old and sugar with some smelly good stuff added.  I use it all the time and the scent stays on my skin all day…which I find is rare with this kind of stuff.  Plus, it keeps my skin super soft, which, out here in this super dry climate is pretty hard.  I gave some scrub as gifts for Christmas to some family and I have heard nothing but rave reviews back.  I’ve personally used the lemon, cucumber melon, and intense almond.  Love them all!  She also makes gloss and lip balm, which are nice, because they are olive oil based, so besides being natural, are super moisturizing.  Im not sure if it is available yet, but she is also making kitchen soap and lotion….she gave me a prototype of those and they’re really nice too.

One last comment about the scrub (which is probably my favorite product of hers) – The jar that it comes in is pretty big and lasts a while and I think that they are well priced.

So just a little plug for my friend Jenn – if you use this kind of stuff, check it out!

www.ThePamperedOlive.com

Drum Roll Please….. January 27, 2009

……It’s a BOY for Robert and Stephanie!!!  And of course, more importantly, all is well with baby and mama.  Baby Boy Brooks is scheduled to join Robert, Stephanie, Brady, Payton, Lily and Ava April 17th.

Congratulations Rob & Steph!!!!!

Texas Monthly January 26, 2009

Texas Monthly is one of my very favorite magazines….along with Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Domino, Consumer Reports, US Weekly….ok, so it is a fairly large category.  While I enjoyed reading Texas Monthly while I was still living in Texas, I have some to appreciate it so much more now that we are away.  It’s my little piece of home, courtesy of the United States Post Office, every month.  (Technically, the subscription is Rell’s, but luckily he shares!)

We just got our most recent issue of Texas Monthly…..worth mentioning is last months issues which was the Bum Steer Awards, by far the best issue of the year.  Every Texan should read that issue!!  I should mention that I never read magazines front cover to back cover….I usually open up to a page and starts from their reading random articles, or a read back cover to front cover….I dont know why, I have just always done that!  Anyways, I randomly open up Texas Monthly and strike gold – my favorite column – “The Texanist” which is basically a Q&A column of just about anything related to Texas-ish type stuff that readers send in.  I actually started reading page two of this article and the first two questions I read were laugh out loud funny…..so I thought I would share them on this blog for those of you that dont get Texas Monthly….

Q: Why is it so hard to find queso dip at resturants on the East Coast?  In the simplest form, its just Velveta and Rotel, and those ingredients are avilable at any grocery store.  But I dont know of any Mexican or Tex Mex style restaurant out here that serves it.  What Gives?  Signed, Katy M. of Arlington Virginia.

A: What gives?  The Texanist will tell you what gives.  Katy M is not getting the professional grade spicy tex mex cheese dip that she so craves because at some point in her life she made the unthinkable decision to leave her home in queso country for a life of gluey clam chowders, sickeningly sweet baked beans, sinewy New York strips, salmonella horboring egg creams, snooty Waldorf salads, unmanageable cheesesteaks, unsavory scrapples and all the other disgusting “specialties” that pass for food east of the Sabine.  Need the Texanisst go on?  Before uprooting herself, Katy M forgot that what courses through her veins is the peppery melted cheese dish of her Texas home (the same is true of teh Texasnist, his doctors always tell him with alarm)  Katy M now finds herself jonesing so hard that she doesnt understand the fact of the matter:  There is no queso where she is because she is no longer where there is queso.

I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at this one!  I was a little upset that the Texanist didnt beat Katy M up a little bit for calling it Queso Dip – it’s just called QUESO!!!!  Not queso dip…not queso cheese (because really people, that’s just cheese cheese) and certainly not cheese dip!  Ugh! People out here call it everything but simply QUESO!  That being said…Rell and I have this conversation all the time…..why cant we find good Tex Mex food out here?  And the Texanist answered our question so simply….because we are no longer where there is good tex mex!

The second question I read was priceless.

Q: How concerned should I be that the framed diploma on the wall of my vet’s office is from a school other than Texas A&M University?   Name Withheld

A: It is a fact that Aggies do make fine veterinarians, but there are many other institutions of higher learning know to produce adequate animal doctors.  Where you want to exercise caution is when you see a framed certificate of graduation from Texas A&M on the office wall of your therapist, tattooist, accountant, podatrist, lawyer, plumber, personal pastry chef, midwife, or football coach.  These are all cause for grave concern.

Im not making this us people…..this is straight from Volume 37 Issue 2 of Texas Monthly.  I cant help it if the texanist knows what he is talking about!  As a Longhorn, I really appreciated this one!

One advantage of living in Arizona….it wasnt that hard for me to get the personalized license plate HOOKMMM….it should arrive in about 4 weeks.  (I thought about doing AGIHTR again, but I figured people out here just wouldnt know what that stood for, unlike all my texas friends!  I’ll unretire AGIHTR when we move back one day!)

Fooled by fancy advertising yet again! January 21, 2009

Don’t be tricked by fancy advertising like I was!

This morning, I gave Maggie Mae her last heartworm pill.  I have always gotten them from the vet and never really paid attention to how much they actually were because they were always lumped in with the bill for other services (Shots, Xrays for broken tail, glue removal from stomach….you know, the usual)  I’ve seen the commercials for 1800 pet meds and thought “hey…they say they’re cheaper and easier….so they MUST be!”   I go to the website and proceed to order Maggie Mae a new supply of heart worm pills…..ummm, EXPENSIVE….but still, they must be cheaper that the vet because the commercial says so, right?  They will even contact the vet on my behalf to obtain the Rx.  (who knew you needed a prescription for pet meds…..not me!)  How nice of them!

I placed my order, but shortly after got an email saying they needed a paper Rx from my vet, so I needed to call they vet and get one.  No biggie.  I called the vet…and this is what I learned:

#1)  My vets office is so nice…I already knew this…but this girl on the phone was so friendly and informative!

#2) THe same heartworm medication at my vets office is actually CHEAPER than from 1800 pet meds.

#3) Oh, but what about the hardship of having to go into the vets office to pick up the medication, you ask.  NONSENSE – they mail it to me FOR FREE!!!

#4) While 1800petmeds, sells the same medication as my vets office, they do not obtain is directly from the manufacturer, which nullifies any “warranty” should Maggie Mae get heart worms while on her medication.  Also, the nice lady at the vets office told me that these online pharmacys were not subject to any kind of federal regulation….so the meds on their shelves could be old.  Why would I even want to mess with that???  Especially since it costs MORE that from my friendly LOCAL vet!

This wont be the last time I am fooled by fancy television commericals, i am sure!  Luckily, I was able to cancel my order with 1800petmeds.

On a side note, YAY for the new laptop…I’ve been blogging much more now!  Thanks to wireless internet, i can update you on my oh so facinating life from almsot anywhere!!!

Garlic Roasted Pork Loin with Raspberry Chipotle Glaze January 21, 2009

Pork loin is ALWAYS on sale here.  We never really ate it in Texas….we were talking about that the other day, wondering why.  Probably because it was too expensive!  So, noticing that it is always on sale here, I began searching for some yummy recipes so I could take advantage of the great pork loin deals!  This recipe sounds complicated, but really, it isnt.  I have made the herbed rub using a combo of different herbs…the ones listed here are great, but really only a suggestion.  I’ve done it with only basil, and also subbing basil for the sage.  Also, I dont follow the measurements of 1T of each herb precisely.  I jsut kind of do a handful of each and then up the garlic and bit.  The glaze is a little time consuming, but not difficult.  Raspberry Preserves can be subbed for the fresh raspberries…just cut the sugar in about half.  I typically just use recipes as a guide when cooking (never when baking…I have learned my lesson to follow recipes to a T when baking!) and this one included can be altered here and there to your taste.  If you really like chipotle, you can use a bit more of the peppers….whatch out though, thery’re spicy little suckers!  This glaze is also great on chicken.  We’ve made this several times for ourselves adn for company and it is always a big hit!

 

Raspberry Chipotle Glaze:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup small diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
2 pints fresh raspberries, rinsed
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Garlic Roasted Pork Loin:
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound boned pork loin
8 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch watercress, rinsed and patted dry, tough stems discarded
Wild Rice and Dried Cranberry Dressing, recipe follows

 

For the Glaze: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and slightly caramelized, 4 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute. Add the chipotles and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Add the raspberries and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the sugar and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened and reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

For the Pork Loin: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place a large roasting pan over 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add oil to coat the bottom and heat. Season the pork loin with salt and pepper. Place the loin in the roasting pan and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  (Can also do this in a large pan and then just transfer to an oven baking dish)

In a food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Process until smooth. Add enough oil to make the mixture a good, spreadable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pork from the heat. Carefully rub the garlic/herb mixture over the pork loin.

Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Five minutes before removing the roast from the oven, evenly spread the glaze over the top. Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Line a large bowl or platter with watercress.  Slice the pork loin and  Drizzle with leftover glaze.  (I serve extra glaze on the side too)  Also great leftover!

13.1 miles, you had me at hello January 18, 2009

13.1 miles…..you almost beat me today….almost…..but I won in the end.  It may have not been a hard fight, for you…..but you still lost. 

All started out fairly normal…..I’m always so nervous to run the Phoenix PF Chang’s half marathon, that I sort of make my self physically ill.  Last year it passed….this year, not so much.  So pretty much from mile one, the tummy wasnt feeling so hot.  Then, right after mile one, the shoelace came untied….NEVER a good sign.  Mile 3, the numbing cream I put on my hip wore off (because apparently I have the body of an 80 year old woman…my hips are about to give out….I have no idea why….all I know is that I would like the right one replaced….soon)  Mile 5 brought the bathroom break….in a port a potty….where I had to wait ELEVEN MINUTES in line.  (so I shave that off my finish time, of course) Then after that, all was fairly as expected.  The hip gave me lots and lots of problems.  As  I am sitting here on the couch, it still hurts. (Ice bag, you are my friend) Mile 10 was pretty hard….while the Phoenix course is, all things considered, pretty easy, mile 10 is where there are two small hills.  Saw Rell and the friends rooting me on right after the 13 mile marker, right before the finish line, which motivated me to sprint in…..which had to be cut short a bit because I got stuck of a line of people holding hands on their way across the finish line who did not care to sprint across the finish line!….oh well, honestly, I didnt care about those extra 20 seconds or so on my time. 

Crossed the finish line, on my feet, while running, which is alwas my only goal when it comes to running.  Got my medal…..but the real reward for the race was the big plate of flautas and the three margaritas I had afterwards……that’s the only reason I do it!

13.1 miles…..you were a bit rough this year….I’m not gonna lie, but in my mind, I still kicked your ass!

Where did 08 go? January 17, 2009

I don’t really have much time to blog right now….I’m about to head to Phoenix for a race I am running tomorrow.  That’s a “whole notha” story in and of itself.  I’m pretty stinking nervous about it.

I’ve really been meaning to find some time to sit down and blog, but there never seems to be enough time in the day! Christmas this year was great.  We missed the Boston Rowes terribly, but having the Brooks kiddos around made it lots of fun.  I will post pictures of that soon.

Rell turned 30 yesterday.  I threw him a surprise party last weekend.  I totally got him…he had no idea!  SOme Texas friends came in which made it all the more special.

We’re getting settled in the new house.  Im still adjusting to “country” life….which is not even all the country considering I can see the golf course and into my neighbors backyard from my deck.  We’ve jsut got all sorts of wildlife running around, which you would think I would be used to as a Texas girl, but I’m not.  Yesterday a huge deer (I think it was a 4 point) ran through the easment between our yard and our neighbors yard…..so basically it ran through our backyard…..Maggie Mae went nuts!  We were on the downstairs patio, so it was literally like 15 feet away from us.  Then as we were in the car talking about it last night on the way home from dinner another deer just casually strolls in front of our car…..no need to worry that there is a 2 ton machine headed right for you little deer, you jsut take your time crossing the street.  It actually crossed onto the street we were turing on to so it walked (pranced) along side our car for a bit before it decided to dart out in front of us again!  And then there’s the javelinas.  Yucky, ugly wild pigs.  Who are mean!!!  And al lthe old people in the neighborhood think that it is ok to feed them……which it is not!!!  These are mean wild piggies!  We also have a covey of quail in our backyard, which also drive Maggie Mae crazy…she’s a city dog….not used to all this wild life!  Give her a siren and a bar fight anyday…she would much prefer listening to that than quail.  (and as I type this there is some sort of crazy hooting going on outside which I can only imagine to be some sort of owl – thank goodness the dog is on her way the the “doggie day care” – she would not be a fan of this noise I am hearing!)

My friend Brooks is coming out at the end of January for a visit and I am sooo excited about that.  Then in February I have a quick trip to Dallas to see Jodi and Baby Cooper.  In April I am headed to Waco for a week, where hopefully, by the time I arrive, Baby Brooks on the way will have already made his/her appearance!

Hopefully the posts will start to get better.  We just bought a laptop, which means I can actually blog from anywhere now, not just home!  Ciao!